According to most experts, the average wedding in the United States will set a couple back about $22,000. That’s the average.

While that figure might make you choke a bit, keep this in mind: If you’re getting married in a major metropolitan area, you should double that average wedding cost I kid you not. In fact, most brides who have a traditional Saturday night ceremony and sit-down wedding reception in places like Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, Dallas, or Los Angeles will tell you that for them, the average cost of a wedding is closer to
$50,000.

On the flipside, “average” weddings in less-expensive American areas come in at around $20,000, which is still a significant sum of money. So as you start to consider your wedding budget, keep these figures in mind. If you’re looking to throw a big-city bash on a Saturday night, your wedding is likely going to cost on the upper end of the “average” scale. If your idea of the ideal wedding is a Sunday brunch in the country, you might not spend as much as the urban bride, but you should still budget liberally.

According to 2004 data from the Conde Nast Bridal Group,the average wedding in the United States costs about $22,300.Here’s how the numbers break down according to region:

• Northeast:$37,650
• Southeast:$20,310
• Midwest:$22,900
• West:$20,800

Here is a quick look at Five weddings,all with approximately 200 guests,held in different areas of the country.This should give you a sense of how much wedding budgets can range:

Couple Number One           Couple Number Two             Couple Number Three 

Location:Denver,Colorado    Location:Charleston,Carolina     Location:Los Angeles suburbs 
Number of Guests:200          Number of Guests:200               Number of Guests:200     
Total Budget:$10,000           Total Budget:$19,300                Total Budget:$30,000    

Couple Number Four          Couple Number Five

Location:Chicago,Illinois      Location:Atlanta,Georgia
Number of Guests:200        Number of Guests:200
Total Budget:$36,325         Total Budget:$55,000

To do To do list :

❑ Get your finances in order
❑ Make a date to talk money with your fiancé and your respective paren
❑ Figure out who is going to pay for what
❑ Order your credit reports
❑ Figure out ways to cut your spending and increase your savings
❑ Open a separate “wedding savings” account
❑ Weigh pros and cons of hiring a consultant
❑ Organize your wedding-planningpriorities.